December 2001

January 2002

February 2002


Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Day Moonage Phenomenon (JST)
1 Tue 17.3 `Ganjitsu' (New Year's Day) (Sunrise: Sapporo 07:06, Tokyo 06:51, Osaka 07:05, Fukuoka 07:23)
14:53 Jupiter is opposition in Gemini (Mag: -2.7, Dia.: 47.0") (watching from Jupiter, the Earth passes on the solar disk)
2 Wed 18.3 16h Moon is nearest to the Earth (0.951, 365,408km, Dia.: 32'42")
22:59 Earth passes perihelion(0.9832898AU)
3 Thu 19.3
4 Fri 20.3 T-Sgr is at maximum brightness (Mag: 7.1 - 12.9, Period: 395 days)
11h ι-Dra meteor shower is at peak (Jan.1 - Jan.5)
20:19 Asteroid Pallas is at conjunction
5 Sat 21.3 21:43 `Shokan' (Longitude of the sun reaches 285 degrees)
6 Sun 22.3 06:26 Moon passes equator, to southern hemisphere
12:55 Last quarter moon
7 Mon 23.3
8 Tue 24.3 02:17 Algol is at minimum brightness
9 Wed 25.3 00h Comet 96P/Machholz 1 passses perihelion (Period: 5.2 years)
11:35 Asteroid Metis (9, Mag: 8.6) is closest to Pollux (β Gem) (0°;13.8')
14:08 Mercury passes 1°20.4' south of Neptune
10 Thu 26.3 00:28 Neptune is closest to Mercury (1°14.2')
23:07 Algol is at minimum brightness
11 Fri 27.3 R-Ser is at maximum brightness (Mag: 5.1 - 14.4, Period: 356 days)
02:29 Moon passes 8°54.5' south of Pluto
12 Sat 28.3 08:44 Mercury is at eastern greatest elongation(19°00.7', Mag: -0.6, Dia.: 6.9")
13 Sun 29.3 00:23 Moon is at southernmost (Decl.: -24°14.3')
19:56 Algol is at minimum brightness
21:29 Moon passes 1°o26.0' south of Venus
22:29 New Moon
14 Mon 0.6 National Holiday in Japan (`Seijin no hi')
R-Cyg is at maximum brightness (Mag: 6.1 - 14.4, Period: 426 days)
05:36 Venus is at superior conjunction (0°52.3' south of Sun, Mag: -3.9, Dia.: 9.7")
08:57 Venus is closest to Sun (0°52.2')
15 Tue 1.6 01:24 Moon passes 3°34.7' south of Neptune
09h Saturn is closest to Epsilon-Tau (0°48.9')
11:24 Moon passes 3°o55.3' south of Mercury
17:47 Moon is closest to Asteroid Ceres (3°14.9')
16 Wed 2.6 T-UMa is at maximum brightness (Mag: 6.6 - 13.5, Period: 257 days)
04:50 β-Lyr is at minimum brightness
06:56 Moon passes 3°46.9' south of Uranus
21h Asteroid 7341 (1991VK) is at closest to the Earth (0.0718AU)
17 Thu 3.6 16:19 Midwinter day (`Doyou') (Longitude of the sun reaches 297 degrees)
18 Fri 4.6 Y-Dra is at maximum brightness (Mag: 6.2 - 15.0, Period: 326 days)
18h Moon is farthest from the Earth (1.055, 405,500km, Dia.: 29'28")
18:18 Mercury is at apogee (R.A.: 21h06.5m)
22h Comet 31P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 2 passses perihelion (Period 8.7 years)
19 Sat 5.6 07:17 Moon passes 05°15.9' south of Mars
20 Sun 6.6 11:12 Moon passes equator, to northern hemisphere
15:02 `Daikan' (Longitude of the sun reaches 300 degrees)
21 Mon 7.6
22 Tue 8.6 02:47 First quarter moon
21h Asteroid Nereus (4660) is closest to the Earth (0.029AU)
23 Wed 9.6 01h Comet C/2000WM 1 (LINEAR) passses perihelion (Mag: 6? in constellation Tel)
24 Thu 10.6 05:39 Moon is closest to Asteroid Vesta (1°27.8')
25 Fri 11.6 00:39 Moon passes 0°04.6' north of Saturn (Occultation of Saturn in west Japan)
01:56 Occultation of Saturn (Mag: -0.1) (immersion time at Osaka, emersion at Osaka is 02:23)
21:29 Venus passes 1°19.7' south of Neptune
26 Sat 12.6 03:48 Neptune is closest to Venus (1°17.4')
05:56 δ-Lib is at minimum brightness
09:44 Mercury passes 4°28.2' north of Venus
17:38 Venus is closest to Mercury (4°24.0')
21:45 Mercury passes 3°13.4' north of Neptune
27 Sun 13.6 03:58 Moon passes 0°54.6' north of Jupiter (Occultation of Jupiter in North Japan)
04:53 Occultation of Jupiter (Mag: -2.6) (immersion time at Sapporo, emmersion cannot be seen because of the moonset)
05:43 Neptune is closest to Mercury (3°11.9')
10:55 Moon is at northernmost (Decl.: +24°16.0')
18:36 Mercury is at inferior conjunction (3°28.1' south of Sun, Mag: 4.6, Dia.: 10.1")
28 Mon 14.6 01:48 Mercury is closest to Sun (3°24.2')
06h Asteroid Orpheus (3361) is closest to the Earth (0.1695AU)
10h Comet 125P/Spacewatch passses perihelion (Period: 5.5 years)
22:05 Neptune is at conjunction (0°06.3' north of Sun, Mag: 8.0, Dia.: 02.2")
29 Tue 15.6 R-Crv is at maximum brightness (Mag: 6.7 - 14.4, Period 317 days)
03:25 β-Lyr is at minimum brightness
07:50 Full Moon
30 Wed 16.6 R-Vul is at maximum brightness (Mag: 7.0 - 14.3, Period 137 days)
03h Heliocentric latitude of Mercury is at northernmost
18h Moon is nearest to the Earth (0.937, 359,992km, Dia.:33'12")
31 Thu 17.6 00:51 Algol is at minimum brightness

Special Thanks to Shirakawa Astronomical Observatory

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